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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23141614">echos</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohallows/pseuds/ohallows'>ohallows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>cloud country [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Gen, M/M, SHES BACK, Siblings, Teasing, happy bday jaime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:26:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23141614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohallows/pseuds/ohallows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>About 9 months after Hamid’s settled in to Dunnock Town, Saira and Aziza come to visit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azu/Sasha Racket (mentioned), Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan/Zolf Smith (pre-slash)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>cloud country [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1407277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>echos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/pitchblackkoi/gifts">pitchblackkoi</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAIME WELCOME TO THE RETURN OF STARDEW VALLEY HAMID AND ZOLF: THE SERIES</p><p>did u know ilysm and i was so excited to write this for u. bc i do. and i was!!!</p><p>this is set about ¾ of the way through the holiday medley! after the halloween one but before the festival of ice.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The letter that comes in the mail is wrapped in a bright green envelope with a gorgeous embossed seal on the back. Hamid’s name is written on the front in an exaggerated, sprawling script. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s a bit too distracted by the elaborate mess that is his name on the front to pay much attention to the rest of the envelope, so when he pulls out the letter and immediately recognizes the handwriting, he drops the paper. It slowly flutters to the ground as Hamid squeaks, hands clapping over his mouth. He hasn’t even read any of the letter, just staring at it sitting on the floor, pretending to be innocent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hamid?” Zolf asks, stepping into the room, and his brows knit together in concern as Hamid’s eyes come up to meet his. “You alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid starts nodding almost immediately, and then realizes he’s been going for too long and that Zolf is looking even more concerned than before. “Ah - yes, Zolf, sorry, everything’s fine!” He bends down and grabs the letter off the floor, carefully avoiding looking directly at it so he doesn’t have to deal with whatever it says yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf doesn’t look like he believes him, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You’ve been acting kind of weird lately, is this why?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The letter almost falls from Hamid’s hands again as he realizes that Zolf’s noticed him acting strange, and he wonders if maybe whatever gods exist can just kill him here on the spot to save himself the embarrassment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>See, it’s been… oh, give or take a few months since the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, since Hamid realized just how much he </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zolf, </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> deeper than just simple friendship. And… it’s fine, honestly. Hamid’s more than happy to have him as a friend, and all other feelings that he should maybe talk about to someone have been neatly swept under the rug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(And, hey, if there are a few mornings where Zolf gets to the house a bit before Hamid’s truly awake, and he spends a bit longer than usual staring at Zolf’s soft smile, well. No one needs to know but Hamid.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s fine. The business is going well, even as they get closer to winter, and Hamid’s thinking about maybe expanding somehow, whatever that entails. Sasha and Azu are both wonderful, as always, and Grizzop has only lectured him two times in recent weeks, which is a step up from the average five. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiles weakly over at Zolf. “It’s fine! Sorry, I - it’s really nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf glances down at the letter in his hand, raising an eyebrow. “That doesn’t seem like nothing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I haven’t even read it?” Hamid says, and finally looks down at the letter again. He laughs, a bit embarrassed. The writing is clearly Saira’s, a neat, looping script, with Aziza’s tell-tale scribble adding a note at the bottom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The letter is long and more florid than it has any right to be, and Hamid has to stifle a sigh as Saira keeps the act up for the entire letter. Saira’s never been the long-winded one in their family - that’s always been Hamid and Aziza; her and Saleh got right to the point, unless they were messing with Hamid (which seems to happen more often than not). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can feel the blood draining from his face as he reads the letter; Zolf doesn’t leave, rocking awkwardly from side to side until he sits down, rubbing absently at the spot where his prosthetic meets his skin. Hamid skims the rest of the letter, room a nearly oppressive silence apart from Zolf’s fingers tapping on the arm of the chair and the rustle of the paper as Hamid makes his way through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid finally finishes, and sets it gingerly on a nearby table, staring for a moment too long at the signatures and hearts on the bottom of the page. Hamid manages a smile, turning back to face Zolf. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s - it’s all fine, really,” he says, but the worry doesn’t even slightly leave Zolf’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hamid, you look like you’ve seen a </span>
  <em>
    <span>ghost,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zolf says, frowning. “Are you sure you’re okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My - my sisters are coming to visit,” Hamid says, trying to school his expression into nonchalance. Zolf makes a surprised noise and leans back, confusion replacing the worry on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, er - is that… good?” he asks, clearly trying to land on why Hamid’s so upset, but Hamid just waves it away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we - we get along very well, I just… wasn’t expecting it, you know? None - none of my family have really reached out while I’ve been here. I certainly didn’t think that they’d come </span>
  <em>
    <span>visit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And the holidays are so close, I’d - I thought I’d be heading home, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you don’t want them to come visit?” Zolf asks, and Hamid shakes his head immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m excited to see them, promise,” Hamid reassures him, reaching out and laying a hand on Zolf’s shoulder. “At least it isn’t my parents!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He didn’t mean to say that. Zolf’s gaze becomes, in some strange way, less worried but more sympathetic, and Hamid drops his hand, taking a step back. “Not - my parents are lovely, sorry, er -“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hamid, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zolf says, reassuring. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid breathes out a sigh to center himself and nods, almost sheepishly. “Thanks, Zolf.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mention it. I’ve got an idea for a distraction, anyway. Need to do some inventory on the shop, see what we need for the next run. Want to help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid nods, emphatically. “Yes, absolutely, thank you,” he says, and lets Zolf lead the way into the store, trying his best to push the letter from his mind until he has the time to deal with it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saira and Aziza are scheduled to arrive bright and early on the Tuesday after Hamid’s gotten the letter; they’ve worked out all the details of the trip, and Hamid’s been busy brainstorming how best to spend their days. They’ll only be here for a few days, so he wants to take advantage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid… still doesn’t have a car, and doesn’t really trust himself to drive after years of relying on public transportation in London and Prague, so he’d asked Zolf to give him a ride to and from the station. Zolf has said yes, thankfully, so the moment the sun’s up on Tuesday morning, Zolf’s parked outside Hamid’s house and laying on the horn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright, I’m coming,” Hamid mutters, texting a quick ‘Be right there!’ to Zolf as he runs a nervous hand over his hair, tight curls carefully styled to press close to his skull. He grabs the keys from the bowl on the table, ignoring the alarm going off on his phone, and dashed out the door, carefully locking it behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf leans over the dash and opens the door for him; Hamid hops up and pulls himself into the truck, clicking the seatbelt into place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning,” Zolf greets, and turns around as he starts to back the truck out of the driveway. “You look nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! That’s sweet of you,” Hamid says, hoping Zolf can’t see the blush rising high in his cheeks. He chances a glance over but Zolf just turns back to face the road as the truck straightens out, and then they’re off to the station. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They make some generic conversation on the drive down - apparently, Feryn is going to be out of town for a bit - but Hamid’s nearly vibrating off his seat with anxiety, so it mostly turns into Zolf doing his best to keep reassuring him. Hamid appreciates the effort, but Zolf’s bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired at the best of time, so it mostly devolves into Zolf leaving one hand on Hamid’s shoulder and squeezing when he starts to shake more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t take long to get to the station, and both of them head in with time to spare. Aziza and Saira’s train hasn’t been delayed as far as Hamid can tell, so they’re stuck there for a bit. Zolf heads over to a vending machine and buys them a quick snack when Hamid’s stomach growls - neither of them have had time to eat breakfast. They share a granola bar as the clock ticks down, and then they see the train in the distance. Hamid rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet as the train slowly pulls in before coming to a stop, whistle blowing. A few people begin to file off; Dunnock Town isn’t the most </span>
  <em>
    <span>popular</span>
  </em>
  <span> tourist stop, to be honest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hamid!” He hears two twin shouts of his name and spins to face the left, spotting Saira and Aziza each carrying their bags off of the train as they wave frantically to him. The platform is nearly empty, so it’s easy enough for both of them to drop their bags and run toward him. Aziza reaches him first and jumps up, arms around his neck as Hamid swings her around. Saira is close behind, and wraps her arms around both of them, squeezing tightly. Hamid extricates one of his arms and wraps it around Saira’s shoulder, careful not to disturb her hijab. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you both? How about mum and dad? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Hamid babbles, pulling back to look at his two sisters. Aziza tucks a lock of curly hair, curlier than Hamid’s, behind her ears and Saira beams at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re doing wonderful, mum and dad keep asking us to move closer to home, as you know,” Saira says, straightening her jacket. “How about you? You’ve been stuck out here for months now, how is it? It’s so </span>
  <em>
    <span>different </span>
  </em>
  <span>from home or London.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid gives a bit of a weak laugh. “Well - </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can catch up on the ride back to the house! Honestly, I would kill a man for a nice cup of coffee,” Aziza says, turning around. “Oh - where -“ she starts, looking around for their bags. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, er, picked them up for you?” Zolf chimes in from out of nowhere, and Hamid turns to face him with a thankful smile. He’s got Saira’s bag slung across one shoulder and Aziza’s suitcase handle in his palm, standing there awkwardly as Aziza and Saira both give him a quick once-over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aziza, Saira, this is Zolf Smith, my… friend and business partner,” Hamid says. “Zolf, these are my sisters.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pleasure to meet you,” Aziza says, and there’s something knowing in her tone that almost immediately puts Hamid on high alert. He’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> forgotten how good his siblings were at reading him. His fears are realized when Zolf turns back to face him after shaking both their hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘He’s cute!’ Aziza mouths at him, and Hamid feels his smile freeze on his face for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>no. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to head out?” Zolf asks, and Hamid can’t nod quickly enough as he reaches around Zolf and starts tugging at his sisters. They’re both snickering, and Hamid might be a little rougher than normal as he pulls at them. Still, they keep laughing as he drags them out of the building, Zolf following at his own pace and carefully setting their luggage in the bed of the truck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trip back is mostly uneventful; there’s only space for three in the truck, and Saira and Aziza positively begged to ride in the bed on the trip home, and Zolf hadn’t protested. Hamid can see them cheering and waving in the mirror as they drive down the road, and it’s not long before they’re pulling up in front of his house. Zolf kills the ignition and slips out of the truck, trudging around to the back as Aziza and Saira hop out of the bag. Aziza reaches back to grab their bags, but Zolf is already there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me help,” Zolf says, pulling the bags out of the bed. He hands Aziza her suitcase and Saira her bag, and then carefully gets down from the bed. Hamid notices he’s leaning against the truck a bit more than he normally does, keeping most of his weight off his prosthetic, and he gives Zolf a sympathetic smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is your leg alright?” he asks, too low for his sisters to hear as they head off toward the house. Zolf grimaces, folding his arms. “Think I irritated it yesterday. Me and Feryn were down in the mines for longer than expected, so I think I just need some time with it off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid reaches out and squeezes his forearm, causing Zolf to look up at him, and, </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods, </span>
  </em>
  <span>his eyes are gorgeous. “Don’t worry about the delivery tomorrow, okay? Just go home and get some rest. I’m closing up the shop to spend time with Saira and Aziza anyway, so there’s no rush. Please don’t overextend yourself on </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> account.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf gives him a soft smile, but it’s gone in half a second when Aziza pops up over Hamid’s shoulder, grin spreading across her face. “Thank you for helping us with the bags and for giving us a ride,” she says, elbows digging into Hamid’s shoulders as he winces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aziza!” Saira calls over, and Hamid hears a thud from behind him. “What did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>pack</span>
  </em>
  <span>, how does this weigh so much more than my bag?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it!” Aziza trills, up on tiptoe as she rests her chin on Hamid’s head. Hamid does his best to give Zolf an apologetic grin, but he just looks more amused than anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Happy to help. Good to, er - meet you both. Again. Er. Cheers,” Zolf says, giving the two of them an awkward wave. “Hamid, I’ll see you this weekend for another delivery?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid nods, and Zolf gives him a small smile before pushing off the car and heading off to the driver’s side door, pulling himself up into the seat. Hamid waves as he leaves, letting his arm fall to his side as Aziza takes a step back from him, clearly heading back up the path toward the house. He hears a noise like a leaking faucet, which is easy enough to identify as Aziza, and he nervously turns back to face his two sisters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Aziza says, eyes bright as she exchanges a look with Saira that Hamid </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>doesn’t want to interpret. “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely</span>
  </em>
  <span> gone on him, aren’t you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh- what? On, er - on who? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gone, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I mean, n - no, er,” Hamid stammers, gaze flicking frantically between the two of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hamid, </span>
  <em>
    <span>breathe,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Saira says, kneeling down in front of him on the couch. She’s smiling as well, a fond amusement on her face as Hamid closes his eyes and takes a breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I don’t know what either of you mean?” Hamid says, trying for casual and missing the mark as his voice cracks on the final word. Saira sighs and straightens up, folding her arms and looking more disappointed than actually angry. Still, Hamid feels the curl of guilt in his stomach as she and Aziza share another look. “Honestly, he - me and Zolf are just friends. really. That’s all there is to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not Mum and Dad,” Saira says, gentle, and Aziza nods emphatically at her side. “You don’t have to… protect yourself with us, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We just want you to be happy, Hamid,” Aziza adds, a sympathetic look on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>lying</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Hamid says, and looks between both of his older sisters. “We are. Really. That’s it. There’s nothing… there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aziza gives him a half-sad, half-understanding smile. “But… you want there to be, don’t you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid looks away, playing absently with a loose thread on his sleeve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I - It doesn’t matter, what I want,” Hamid says. “He - he isn’t interested, I don’t think,” he gives her half a smile, and Saira bites her lip. Her and Aziza trade knowing, long-suffering glances.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Saira asks. “He seems -“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just - trust me,” Hamid says. “He - he isn’t. And I really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t want to ruin our friendship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can stop talking about it,” Saira says, reaching out and resting her hand on Hamid’s forearm. “Now. You said you had a plan?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aziza pouts but doesn’t say anything else, and Hamid gives Saira a grateful smile before heading over to the desk in the front room. He grabs a small mound of papers and heads back to the kitchen, ruffling through them as he looks for the right paper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So. I’ve scheduled everything out,” Hamid announces, slapping down the itinerary that he’d begged the local librarian, Betty, to help him print. (She’s easily the best at using computers from 1965, and Hamid was on a bit of a time crunch.) They’re neatly color-coded, and Hamid’s proud of the work he did making everything line up. Saira and Aziza both make the appropriate amount of ‘ooh’s’ and ‘ahh’s’ for Hamid to feel appreciated, glancing over the paper. “We’ve got a lot to do today, so I think we should get started!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s a wonderful time. Hamid drags Saira and Aziza to the library first; Wilde doesn’t seem to be around, but there’s an interesting historical photography and art exhibit that he wants Saira to see. It’s from a traveling artist couple that Hamid thinks she’ll love - Muriel Cheedlehume and Ella Cowen - and he’s right. Saira keeps up a near-constant stream of information about the pictures they see, contextualizing a lot of the images, and Hamid and Aziza are content to let her lead them through the library. After that, it’s lunch at Grag’s, followed by a quick stop at the market so that Hamid can get groceries for the rest of the week. He’s been absolutely dying for some food from home, and even though the international section is small, he, Aziza, and Saira are able to find enough to make a decent hawawshi that night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spend the rest of the evening cooking, and Hamid and Aziza end up with flour streaking their clothes, collapsed in a pile and laughing as Saira stays safely outside of the danger zone, shaking her head fondly. The hawawshi is </span>
  <em>
    <span>delicious</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and it’s not until Hamid is eating it and groaning appreciatively that he realises how much he’s missed his mother’s cooking. It’s not the same, of course, but it’s close enough that he’s happy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They end the first night early; Saira and Aziza are tired from the trip, and Hamid’s had a few long weeks with the shop, so he’s more than happy to get some sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Day two is much the same - they start off with a lovely brunch cooked by Aziza; she might not have much opportunity to cook while she’s off performing, by Hamid’s got nothing but fond memories of waking up early as a child on Saturdays and sneaking down to the kitchen, hand in Aziza’s, and cooking together. He loves his mother’s cooking, he really does, but Aziza makes the best omelettes he’s ever had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’ve got another busy day; their first stop is the clinic, where Hamid introduces them to Grizzop and Azu. Azu is delighted to meet them, and her and Aziza spend a while talking about Kenya. Aziza had spent a year there on a performance a few years ago, and her and Azu get on like a house on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grizzop eventually kicks them out, albeit more polite than he would be if it were just Hamid. After the medical center, Hamid takes them to the antiques shop, where both Aziza and Saira gush over the collection of knives that Sasha has. She stumbles a bit over her words when she’s explaining, but Hamid shoots her a thumbs up and she starts getting more animated as they go down the line. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They head to the community center and Hamid introduces them to a few people that he knows by face if not by name. Once they’ve spent a few hours there, they head back to Hamid’s house for another big dinner, and then out to Grag’s again for drinks. Sasha and Azu are there, Sasha leaning comfortably against Azu’s arm as she nurses a whiskey. Grizzop makes an appearance for only a moment, tugging Vesseek along with him as Hamid introduces them to Aziza and Saira. Zolf doesn’t stop by; Hamid knows he doesn’t like big crowds, but he still misses him and wishes he were there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sasha and Azu head out, explaining that they both have early days ahead, and Hamid and his sisters follow suit, heading back to Hamid’s. All three of them fall asleep near-instantaneously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Day three is less jam-packed; Hamid knows that Saira and Aziza just want to spend some time relaxing, so he brings them both down to the beach. It’s getting to be chilly here, but it seems as though mother nature has squeezed out one more day of wonderful weather for them to enjoy before it becomes winter proper. It’s not warm enough to swim, not at all, but Hamid leads them over to the beach where he and Zolf watched the jellyfish from, and they lay down next to each other on the pier. It’s a nice way to spend the morning, watching the clouds pass by. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aziza tells them both all about the new show she’s starring in; she’ll be in Prague for about three weeks, and then she’s hoping to get picked up for a travelling company heading to America. Hamid’s certain she’ll get it; he might be biased, but Aziza is wildly talented, and she’s quickly becoming a rising star in the opera community. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Saira can’t speak much about what’s going on; apparently, there are a few important pieces of legislation that are being pushed through, and one or two MPs are dealing with some publicity crises - not much different than usual. She’s gotten a new administrator, someone named Randall, who seems competent. They both sound like they’re having the time of their lives; Hamid’s so happy for them, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>proud. He knows how hard the both of them have worked to get away from the family business. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, they do have to leave the beach; the breeze coming off the ocean gets cold after a while, and Hamid shivers. He remembers last time he was here, Zolf was next to him, giving Hamid his coat and Hamid was realising how quickly he’d fallen for the man. Of course, he doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>say </span>
  </em>
  <span>any of this. Aziza and Saira have enough to tease him about already, he doesn’t need to give them more ammunition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, instead, he leads them over to the mines. He doesn’t have any desire to go down any levels (and, really, he should maybe figure out just what happened that time that he and Zolf went down there) but they head into the main cave. Aziza and Saira ask if he’s been down there, and he brushes it off, trying not to make a big deal of it. Hamid’s not a bad liar, honestly, but Aziza and Saira are eerily good at seeing through him, so he distracts them by showing them the ore and gems embedded deep into the cave walls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feryn’s out of town on some business, so he just shows them the adventurer’s shop and then they head back toward the main square, grabbing ice cream on the way. They sit in the town square for a moment, watching people walk by as ice cream drips all over their fingers and hands. After, they head back home and have the last of their leftovers from the first night, laughing and sharing new family gossip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Day three comes to a close with all three of them sitting up on the couch and talking, some boring programme playing away in the background. None of them are paying much attention to it; Aziza and Saira are grilling Hamid a bit more about Zolf, and then Hamid convinces Aziza to gang up on Saira and ask if she’s found any lovely ladies in London to charm, which leads to a brutal pillow fight before they all collapse back on the couch, breathing heavily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Hamid wakes up with a terrible crick in his neck, but Aziza and Saira are snoring on either side of him, so he smiles and realises that it’s worth it. His phone alarm goes off a few moments later and they both startle awake; Saira is immediately alert, stretching and yawning, but Aziza takes a bit longer to get with it, face scrunching up as she mumbles something about having a few more moments of sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Saira eventually pushes her into the ground as Hamid stands up, and Aziza grumbles as she tries (and ultimately, fails) to get comfortable. She stands up not long after, still muttering under her breath, and stumbles off to the bathroom as Hamid and Aziza watch her go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s never been a morning person. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aziza emerges from the bathroom seeming much more like a person, and then Saira takes her turn as Aziza whips up breakfast once more. They eat together, a bit more subdued now that it’s their last few hours together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s sad that Aziza and Saira have to leave only a few days after they’ve first gotten there; Aziza has rehearsals for a new opera that she’s the prima donna of, and Saira can only get away from secret government business for so long before things start to catch on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf drives them again; he’s a bit quieter on the drive down this morning, even as Saira and Aziza cheer in the bed of the truck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You alright?” Hamid asks, twisting in his seat a bit to face Zolf. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf shrugs, not one for mincing words. “Feryn’s off, so I’m not having as much help around the farm as usual. Leg’s acting up more than usual.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sorry,” Hamid says, giving him a sympathetic look. “Anything I can do to help?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zolf laughs a bit. “Think you can toss bales of hay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid pauses for a minute. They - it’s just </span>
  <em>
    <span>straw,</span>
  </em>
  <span> right? They can’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>heavy, can they? “I - I can try?” he says, but Zolf just shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No offense, but you’d collapse in no time. They’re heavier than they look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Hamid says, frowning. “Well, if there’s anything else I can do, let me know, okay? You’ve - you’ve helped me out so much, even just this week alone. I want to help where I can.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll, er - keep it in mind. And you don’t have to pay it back. I’m always happy to help, Hamid. You know that,” Zolf says with a smile, the one he saves just for Hamid, and then he pulls into the parking spot. “I’ll wait in here. Maybe nip some sleep while you wait for the train, yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid nods and opens the door, carefully clambering out of the truck. “Thanks, Zolf,” he says, and then Aziza collides with his side, beaming up at Zolf. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Zolf!” she says, winking at him. “Make sure to take care of our baby brother, okay?” She grabs Hamid’s cheek, pinching it and shaking back and forth until Hamid pulls away from his grip, scowling. Zolf laughs, and inclines his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Glad you had a good time. Come back to visit soon?” he says, and Saira pops up on Hamid’s other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If Hamid ever -“ Hamid claps his hand over her mouth and laughs too loudly, starting to push them both away. Zolf raises an eyebrow at Hamid, looking a little confused, but Hamid just keeps laughing, pulling Saira and Aziza away as Zolf stares after them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Saira licks the inside of his hand and Hamid cries out in disgust, pulling his hand back and wiping it on her shirt. “Saira! That’s - eugh!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Saira laughs again and Aziza nearly doubles over as Hamid continues dragging them into the station, rolling his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train pulls into the station soon after they do. Even after all that, Hamid gives them both tight hugs on the platform. “I wish you two could have stayed longer,” he says, tearing up a bit. He loves spending time with them, even if they tease him mercilessly, and he misses being as close to Saira as he was when they were both in London. He’d always grown up with so much of his family around him, he misses the closeness of all of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll visit again,” Saira promises. “Soon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, you won’t be all alone here for long - mum and dad want the twins to spend some time here, we heard them talking about it the other day,” Aziza says, nudging Hamid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hamid says, blinking rapidly as he tries to imagine his two younger brothers here, in Dunnock Town, for any extended length of time, and feels himself nearly going faint. He loves the twins, he really does, but based on what he’s heard recently, they’ve become absolute terrors. “Why me? Why - why </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>of it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Saleh is off competing -“ Saira starts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m off performing and can’t really keep an eye on them -“ Aziza continues. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And can you imagine the twins around a bunch of MPs?” Saira finishes, with a raised eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid sighs. They both have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>point</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he begrudgingly realises. “Still, why do they want them to come here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know how they sent us away to boarding school? I think they just want the twins to get some discipline, but they don’t want to be all alone yet,” Aziza explains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe put them to work on Zolf’s farm,” Saira suggests, a twinkle in her eye that Hamid recognizes from a childhood chock-full of following along in his sisters’ schemes. “Spend some more time with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I - I spend more than enough time with him, thank you!” Hamid defends, and then casts his gaze skyward as Aziza and Saira start laughing uproariously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>you?” Aziza asks, eyebrow raised, and Hamid feels his cheeks heating up as he reaches over and hits her on the upper arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We just want you to be happy, Hamid,” Saira says, and elbows Aziza in the side. “Right, Ziz?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re our little brother, of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> we want you to be happy,” Aziza says, and pulls Hamid in for a long hug. Saira joins them both, tucking her head into the crook of Hamid’s shoulder. “We’ll stop pressuring you, but… I really think you should give it a chance. You never know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulls back and Saira goes with her, both of them reaching out and resting their hand on his shoulders. Hamid gives them a weak smile that quickly turns watery. “I’ll - I’ll think about it?” he says, and wipes at his eyes. “I’m going to miss you both. A lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aziza stretches up onto her tiptoes and grabs Hamid’s cheeks between her palms, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “We all need to get better at staying in touch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll call you more,” Hamid promises, and Saira nods at his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train whistles a final warning, and an announcer comes over the speaker, warning them that the train is about to leave. Aziza and Saira jump and grab their bags, each pulling Hamid in for one more quick hug that he returns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go! Go, go, </span>
  <em>
    <span>go,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hamid cries, nearly pushing the two of them into the train as the doors open.  They both laugh and let him escort them over the train, but not before Aziza reaches back and places a smacking kiss on Hamid’s cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call Mum! Ask him out!” Saira calls as the door closes. “We love you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hamid shakes his head, fond, and waves at the two of them. “I love you too!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors close gently and the train whistles, chugging along slowly as it pulls out of the station. Hamid walks with it for a moment, waving and blowing kisses to his sisters until the train is steadily moving away from the platform and disappearing behind the trees. He’s left alone on the platform, arm falling slowly to his side even as his smile never fades. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>me @ myself, the person who has this power: CAN THEY JUST GET TOGETHER. PLEASE.</p><p>also am i. the only one who gets big stressed when people come to their city and ask to be shown around bc my mind just blanks and goes “WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE”</p></blockquote></div></div>
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